For over 15 years, we’ve worked together to bring common sense values to Ohio. Now, I ask you to join me in one more fight. Together, we can begin to fix what is broken. We can restore civility, restart our economy, and provide for our families. It`s time we put patriotism before politics and focus on what`s really important - our future.

Priorities

Stand up to unfair trade agreements that target East Ohio.Protect Medicare for the seniors of our district. Develop manufacturing friendly business solutions that will put our unemployed back to work.

Qualifications

I have represented East and Southeast Ohio for 16 years. Together we have built a strong manufacturing sector that has provided for our families, our communities and our state. We now face an assault on our manufacturing sector. A polarized congress, controlled by radical Republicans, who threaten to extend tax breaks for corporations that would see our manufacturing sector eliminated and our jobs shipped foreign countries. We have to stand up to this assault. When I was in congress I sponsored a bill to repeal NAFTA, and I stood up against unfair trade agreements. Our area needs this type of representation, not a rubber stamp for an out of control congress who is willing to sell our jobs to increase the bottom line of Millionaires.

Positions on the issues

I oppose the Ryan Johnson budget and believe this budget is an assault on East Ohio. Under a Ryan Johnson budget we would see attacks on our seniors Medicare, cuts to our children's education, and increase on our average income tax.

Under the Ryan Johnson budget we would see 9,800 of our districts seniors pushed back into the Medicare Party D donut hole - costing them an additional $96 million dollars. The average seniors would be asked to pay an additional $6,400 dollars in out of pocket medical expenses. The Medicare system would be changed from a government subsidized program to a premium support plan that would provide seniors a voucher for a portion of their yearly medical expenses. This is not right. We need to stand up to this assault on our seniors and we cannot allow a radical budget, such as the Ryan Johnson, budget to give tax breaks to millionaires while cutting the medical expenses to our nation's most vulnerable.

A Ryan Johnson budget would attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our nations students. The budget calls for slashing the Pell Grant system; cutting 45% of the grants offered to our nations students who need them the most. The plan also calls for raising the interest on the Stafford Student Loan, a government back loan, from 3.4% to 6.8%. How can we expect to educate our future workforce if these students are unable to attain an advanced degree?

Finally, under a Ryan Johnson budget we would see the average income tax rate in our district increase. The current average tax rate for a constituent of the sixth congressional district is 8%. The Ryan Johnson budget proposes a radical policy that would restructure our current income tax system from six brackets to two. We would see brackets moved to 10% and 25%; this would amount to a tax increase on the average constituent of our district, and this is not right. We cannot create a system that allows tax breaks for millionaires and increased cost on our nations middle class. We have to stand up against these radical policies.

Finally, I oppose policy that threaten our manufacturing sector. I have lived in East Ohio all of my life. I have raised a family here and my family has operated a small business in the area for over 100 years. I know what it means for our area to be in an economic recession and as a small businessman I feel the affects. My opponent and I are on opposite sides of the manufacturing debate. Congressman Johnson believes in allowing tax loopholes for corporations that operate overseas manufacturing. I disagree with this policy. If we fail to punish those those who move our jobs overseas we will only see outsourcing increase. These are American corporations that fly American flags in front of their US headquarters, yet they manufacture their parts in Mexico and China in an effort to pay less wages and increase their bottom line. This is not right and I will never support policies that allow for this kind of economic policy. We need to stand up for our middle class, and in our area this means standing up for manufacturing. Congressman Johnson does not believe in American manufacturing.

Offices Held

US House of Representatives - 6th Congressional District Ohio State Senate Ohio House of Representatives